The NHL players who truly look up to forward Martin St. Louis are the ones who can look him square in the eyes.

Despite playing in a league in which players have gotten taller and heavier in the past 20 years, St. Louis, listed generously as 5 feet 8, has carved out a Hall of Fame-caliber career spent mostly with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

When St. Louis talks, it resonates with players such as 5-7 Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson. The two have spent the past two summers working out with a group of players near Riverside, Conn.

“I told him two years ago when I first met him that I wanted to be like him, that I wanted to be a big impact player in the NHL,” Atkinson said. “There was a little awe at first, maybe, but the ice broke pretty quickly.”

Atkinson and St. Louis have had long talks, shared text messages and keep an eye on each other’s games, Atkinson said.

“What Marty has done for me, I can’t even explain how much it means,” Atkinson said. “We’ve done a lot of work on positioning and leverage, how to get around guys quicker and how to gain an advantage against bigger guys along the wall.”

What Atkinson, 24, might need most this season is simply his health. He gained respect in the dressing room last season for playing through a high ankle sprain. He lost his ability to dart into open space for scoring chances. His legs couldn’t keep up with his brain.

“Guys that size have to be able to move,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said.

Atkinson spent more time off his skates than usual this summer to give his ankle time to rest. He hit yesterday’s start of training camp in full stride.

“I feel great,” Atkinson said. “It’s nice to be 100 percent and be healthy. I’ve said I think this is going to be a great year for me. I’m excited to get going and stay healthy. I know what I’m capable of doing. Coaches and ownership know what I’m capable of doing. I just have to stay healthy and do what I do.”

The Blue Jackets know they need to score more goals after finishing 25th in the NHL last season at 2.4 goals per game. They also opted to not re-sign Vinny Prospal, their leading scorer last season. Although Atkinson is not the only player being counted on to supply more goals, he is near the top of the list.

“He’s going to have all his quickness,” Kekalainen said. “His ability to weave through traffic and play one-on-one with the bigger players is exceptional. We’re going to see a difference this year with his play and ability to create offense.”

Coach Todd Richards singled out Atkinson yesterday, saying he helped set the tone during the afternoon session of camp.

Richards found a match with Matt Calvert, center Brandon Dubinsky and Atkinson on a line last season and could go back to it, he said. But he is also looking for a replacement for Prospal on the No. 1 line next to center Artem Anisimov and right wing Marian Gaborik. Atkinson has said he would switch to left wing from his natural position on the right without complaint.

“Whoever I play with doesn’t matter,” Atkinson said, “but those guys are pretty special.”

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